Sorted by date Results 756 - 780 of 1219
The Montana Department of Revenue is mailing livestock per capita fee bills this week. For the first time, livestock owners can pay online at reportyourlivestock.mt.gov. In the past, they could just report online. Payments are due on Nov. 30, either electronically or by mail. “The department wants to make it more convenient for livestock owners to report their livestock and pay their fees,” said Director Mike Kadas, Montana Department of Revenue. “The new online system should be efficient and effective, making it easier for livestock owner...
Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) has been a hot policy topic for the past two decades, with voluntary and mandatory labeling being debated and discussed by Farm Bureaus at both the state and national levels. In the 2002 farm bill, the issue jumped to international debate when Congress included provisions mandating COOL for all U.S. commodities. Simply put, Country of Origin Labeling law meant just that: the label Product of The U.S.A. should be stamped on agricultural commodities and products raised and processed in the U.S. However,...
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2015 – Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin mailing ballots to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country for the 2015 FSA County Committee elections on Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. Producers must return ballots to their local FSA offices by Dec. 7, 2015, to ensure that their vote is counted. “County committee members represent the farmers and ranchers in their communities,” said Dolcini. “Producers elected to these committees have al...
It’s a rancher’s dream. Over a million acres of land. Fresh water in abundance. Thousands of cattle belly deep in rich, lush grass. No predators, no disease. Except…. The ranch is in the Aleutians, on Umnak Island, south of Dutch Harbor where storms are frequent and the only transportation is by small plane or helicopter. Howard Rambur, owner of Rambur Charolais and Ryan Obergfell representing Prewitt and Company visited Bering Pacific Ranches on Umnak Island in late August. They flew from Billings to Anchorage, to Dutch Harbor, then to the ran...
The Montana Agriculture in the Classroom program has released a comprehensive educational project on invasive species to help increase public awareness, identification, and reporting procedures. Species that are non-native to Montana, interfere and often destroy native plants, wildlife and livestock habitat, forests, waterways, and food crops. These species, which may not harm the environment in their native area, can cause destruction and major problems when introduced to a new environment. “The impact to agriculture and the environment can t...
The Montana Farm Bureau Federation is holding a Small Landowner’s Seminar Sunday, Nov. 8, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula as part of their annual convention. The seminar will feature three sessions of panelists who have built successful agricultural operations on small pieces of land. The seminar will run from 12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The first set of panelists consists of small business commodity producers who have found a niche. These include Julie Pavlock, who will address the benefits of farming garlic...
R-CALF USA submitted a white paper to the Senate agriculture committee urging it to update the Livestock Mandatory Price Reporting Act (Act) prior to the Act’s Sept. 30, expiration. R-CALF USA asserted that packers had introduced new cattle procurement methods over the past five years that have significantly reduced price transparency. Rather than update the Act, Congress requested a mere study to determine if the Act was serving the needs of the livestock sector when it reauthorized the Act for another five years. Originally passed in 1999, t...
Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana, in partnership with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, will be holding a series of soil health workshops throughout Montana next month. The workshop series will feature regional and local producers who have incorporated various practices into their farming and ranching operations that have improved their soil resources, management, and bottom-line. Included among the speakers is Gabe Brown, a farmer and rancher from Bismarck, North Dakota. Brown and his family operate a 5,000-acre...
Producers have Until Sept. 30 to Sign Up for ARC/PLC and MPP-Dairy, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Val Dolcini reminds farmers and ranchers that they have until Sept. 30 to enroll in several key Farm Bill safety net programs – Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC), Price Loss Coverage (PLC) and the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy). “These programs provide important risk protection for farm and dairy operations, so it is important not to miss the deadline for enrollment,” said Dolci...
The Montana Stockgrowers Association is seeking nominations for the 2015 Montana Ranching Woman of the Year. The annual award is presented to an MSGA member who has made great contributions to the Montana ranching community and has gone above and beyond to support their family and friends. Nominations are due October 31 and the recipient will be recognized at MSGA's annual convention in Billings, December 3-5. "Women are often the backbone of Montana's ranching communities. These women often go...
Montana State University’s new Regional Pulse Crop Diagnostic Laboratory in Bozeman offers several diagnostic tests on seed samples to check for pulse crop diseases. The tests cost $200 per sample and screen for seven important fungal diseases of pulse crops, which include ascochyta blight, anthracnose, fusarium wilt, botrytis, gray mold, and stemphylium blight. Another test, known as the smart package, costs $400 per sample and includes the seven fungal diseases and two virus tests: Pea seedborne mosaic virus (PSbMV) and Pea enation mosaic v...
While the court case dealing with the request for an injunction against the fish bypass and concrete weir at Intake is not over yet, Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project manager James Brower no longer feels like it is an uphill battle. Strong responses from the Department of Justice combined with that of LYIP effectively argue against the injunction on the basis of law and the public interest. The DOJ filings dispute every part of the suit filed by the defenders of Wildlife and the Natural Resources Council, including the plaintiffs’ claims t...
Montana State University has completed an agreement to license more than 700 developmental lines of durum wheat to Montana-based Northern Seed, LLC. “Northern Seed is very excited to strengthen our relationship with MSU through this durum license and continued collaboration on behalf of Montana producers,” said Ryan Holt, Northern Seed vice president of supply chain and markets. “The addition of these Montana lines to our existing durum program will only strengthen our ability to discover and develop new durum varieties. We look forward to th...
Is it no longer considered livestock waste? A recent article in AGWEEK talks about the use of animal manure instead of or along with commercial fertilizers. With harvest in full swing in the area, this is something that many farmers are considering. North Dakota, along with surrounding states, used to use manure extensively as a crop fertilizers. With the change in technology, chemical fertilizers became the new go to when it came to adding nutrients to your fields, especially since it is...
Richland County 4-H held their annual livestock auction at the Richland County Fair in Sidney on August 7th....
This time of year, the beginning of August, can be the start to some of the hottest weather of the summer. Making sure you are well hydrated is important to keep healthy, that is the same mindset we should have when it comes to cattle. Heat stress has the greatest impact in North Dakota when the cattle are exposed to elevated temperature and humidity for a period of time. With the nights dropping down to the 60s, that will give cattle the chance to cool off and to prepare for the next day....
Distinguishing imported meat from domestic meat is not new. The Tariff Act of 1930 requires labels on imported meat to indicate to the “ultimate purchaser” its country of origin. This explains why imported canned meat and imported ready-to-eat meat has been labeled for as long as most of us can remember. However, volumes of imported meat remained unlabeled because the U.S. interpreted “ultimate purchaser” to be the last purchaser of the meat product in the form in which it was imported. Big meatpackers began circumventing labeling require...
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last week the availability of loans to build broadband in rural areas, along with changes to the program required by the 2014 farm bill. “USDA is committed to providing broadband to rural areas,” Vilsack said. “Broadband is as vital as electricity was 80 years ago. Since 2009, USDA investments have delivered broadband service to 1.5 million households, businesses, schools, libraries and community facilities. But our work is not done. With program improvements and available funding made possible by the...
Brorson Farmhands held their July meeting at Matt and Lacey Nevins house. We held our meeting and talked about Fair, then did demonstrations. We also did 2 community services - we did Meals on Wheels and went to Extended Care and served cupcakes to residents for Birthday month....
Many people involved in agriculture believe that agro-security centers around large farms and ranches with multiple buildings housing chickens and swine. They picture workers and visitors suiting up in white plastic coveralls with hair nets and booties dipped in disinfectant. However, in many cases, agro-security is paramount to keeping your animals from contracting a contagious disease, whether it's quarantining a new horse or not sharing water buckets at a 4-H show. "We frequently think of...
Helena, Mont. – Severe weather is no stranger in Montana. The 2013 storms still remind farmers of the importance of having adequate coverage for this year’s crops. The Montana State Hail Insurance program is financially secure, and the staff is prepared to accept new policies through August 15th as well as answer any questions producers might have on coverage options. The maximum coverage rate for dry land is $75 per acre and $114 per acre for irrigated land. Rates vary by county depending on the hail loss history of the area; a detailed lis...
Hefty Seed Company was founded north of Sioux Falls, SD by Ron Hefty in 1969 as Hefty Farm Supply. As time went on, seed sales became a major focus for Ron, and led to the only name change in the company history. Hefty Farm Supply became Hefty Seed Company in 1984 and has grown through the years to having over twenty-five facilities in SD, ND, MN, IA, MO, MT, ID, NE, and WA. Hefty Seed has continued to expand to where the company assists the producers in corn and soybean seed, herbicides, fungic...
WASHINGTON, July 10, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that over 98.2 percent of producers have met the 2014 Farm Bill requirement to certify conservation compliance to qualify for crop insurance premium support payments. Implementing the 2014 Farm Bill provisions for conservation compliance is expected to extend conservation provisions for an additional 1.5 million acres of highly erodible lands and 1.1 million acres of wetlands, which will reduce soil erosion, enhance water quality, and create wildlife habitat. ...
The Williston Research Center Field Days will be held Thurday, July 9th and Friday, July 10th. The MSU - EARC/Extension’s 35th Annual Field Day will take place July 14th in Sidney....
R-CALF USA may be defined as a non-profit producer organization, but our work benefits anyone who eats meat and lives in an economy that includes agriculture. We’re more than a producer organization; we’re your organization! Recently, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) formally triggered an arbitration process with Canada regarding COOL at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The purpose of the arbitration process is to determine the level of damages, if any, that Canada incurred as a result of the United States’ mandatory COOL law....
